Ford Ranger 2.2 XL Sport has inside lane on Toyota Hilux

When you are shopping closer to the entry level point of a segment, then price, and price versus spec becomes a massive consideration. And here Ford has trumped Toyota’s Hilux with their new Ranger 2.2 XL Sport double cab offering.

Toyota recently updated their Hilux range, and did away with the entry level SRX grade and now start from Raider spec. And while this new entry level model offers more kit than the outgoing SRX, it also comes in more expensive at a starting price of R531 600 versus the Ranger 2.2 XL Sport that starts at R485 900.

Almost every Ranger that came off a showroom floor was fitted with aftermarket alloy wheels and blacked out extras, so it was smart of Ford South Africa to simply package the basics and offer them on their most popular Ranger, the 2.2 XL and call it a Sport.

For R16 500 more, you get a gloss black grille, which replaces the plain black one. While the 16-inch silver wheels are replaced with larger 17-inch gloss black alloys riding on bigger 265/65 17 rubber. To finish off the basic Sport offering, you also get a black sports bar, black rear bumper, and larger Ranger sticker to inform your neighbours you are not driving a basic 2.2 XL.

Ford Ranger XL Sport

If you want to take the customising a step further, you can also opt for the dealer fitted side steps and an upgraded eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that goes for R5 050 and R6 080, respectively. For me, this OEM package works in terms of looks and functionality.

On the road, it is the well-known 118 kW/385 Nm, 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine under the bonnet, and in the case of our test car, we had the six-speed automatic in 4×2 guise. You can also opt for the various 4×4 and manual options. As you can see from the road test data, the 2.2 XL is never going to light up the dragstrip, but nobody expects it to.

To see the full test results, click here.

Standard comfort and safety spec are excellent too. This 2.2 XL comes fitted with dual airbags, ISOFIX child seat mount points, central locking, ABS with EBD and ESP, traction control, a rear diff-lock, tow bar, Hill Launch Assist, Roll-over Mitigation, Adaptive Load Control and Trailer Sway Control.

Ford Ranger XL Sport interior

All Rangers come standard with Ford Protect, comprising a four year/120 000 km comprehensive warranty, three year/unlimited distance roadside assistance, five year/unlimited km corrosion warranty, and a six year/90 000 km service plan.

As you can see, the basic number battle puts these two foes almost on an equal footing, but the better priced and better equipped Ford Ranger 2.2 XL Sport just shades the Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD-6 Raider and offers the better bang per buck right now.

To see our scorecard, click here.

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